Tribal Art

Animal figure Nkisi, nkishi (pl. mankishi )in which a magic charge bishimba is concealed. It is contained in a glass cavity placed on the back of the animal. The power of the fetish, according to local beliefs, was further accentuated by the presence of various accessories, such as nails, cords, metal. Among the Kongo, the dog, renowned for its knowledge of the supernatural world, had a role of mediator between the living and the dead. br /> The Vili, the Lâri, the Sûndi, the Woyo, the Bembé, the Bwende, the Yombé and the Kôngo formed the group Kôngo, led by the king Ntotela. Their kingdom reached its apogee in the 16th century with the trade of ivory, copper and slaves. With the same beliefs and traditions, they produced a statuary with codified gestures related to their vision ...

This clan ancestor figure was arranged to contain the mystical charge called "Bonga". It was draped with skin and textile to hold the charge in its receptacle. The faces are streaked with traditional scarification. The chief of the clan had this type of sculpture that adorned an altar. Golden brown patina. Lacks and erosions.
Established between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon, the Téké were organized in chiefdoms whose chief was often chosen from among blacksmiths. The head of the family, mfumu , had the right of life or death over his family, whose importance determined its prestige. The chief of the clan, ngantsié, kept the great protective fetish tar mantsié, who supervised all the ceremonies. It was the powerful healer wizard and soothsayer who "charged" ...

This sculpture of a hunchbacked quadruped with a tail with an opening, has a thick, dark, blackish, hardened earthen layer impregnated with sacrificial elements, on which light-colored drips are outlined.
Called boli ( pl. boliw ), buffalo, in African tribal art, this fetish of variable size plays a central role in the ritual life of the Mandingo region. There are pocket "Boliw", and others that belong to chieftaincies, initiation societies such as the male initiation associations Kono and Komo whose members progress through a process spanning several decades, and even to states. The main function of a boli is to accumulate and control the natural life force called nyama for the spiritual benefit of the community . Used as altars or performed during dance performances, they ...

An ovoid object extended by a long ringed neck and surmounted by a stylized bird's head. The curved beak of the animal gracefully returns to marry the handle of the sculpture. Four sheep horns protrude in a star shape around the volume composing the base. The hole made on the neck suggests the initial presence of a carrying handle. This object would form a fetish object for ritual use. Matt crusty patina, cracks and crazing.
Total height including base: 85 cm.
The Senoufos, the name given to them by French settlers, are mostly composed of farmers who have dispersed between Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, and Burkina Faso. Councils of elders, led by an elected chief, administer the Senoufo villages. Governed by matrilineal traditions, they are composed of clusters of dwellings ...

br> Called boli ( pl. boliw ), buffalo , in African art, this fetish of variable size plays a central role in the ritual life of the Mandingo region. There are pocket "Boliw", and others that belong to chieftaincies, initiatory societies such as the male initiation associations Kono and Komo whose members progress through a process spanning several decades, and even to states. The main function of a boli is to accumulate and control the natural life force called nyama for the spiritual benefit of the community . Used as altars or performed during dance performances, they are creations conceived from revelations miraculously granted to the geniuses of the bush and transmitted to the soothsayers, using active amalgams from nature and , or organic: daliluw . Animal bones, vegetable ...

This powerful ritual figure of the Songye, desecrated, was moved by rods placed under the arms. The horn filled with magic substances that rose from his skull was removed. The face borrows the appearance of the Songye Kifwebe mask. The cup that had various ingredients is also empty.
Golden brown glossy patina.
Three variants of this mask Kifwebe (pl. Bifwebe) or "chasing the mort" (Roberts) stand out: the masculine (kilume) usually with a high crest, the feminine (kikashi) with a very low crest see absent, and finally the greatest embodying power (kia ndoshi). This type of mask, still used today, appears to originate from the adjacent area between the northern Luba and the Southeastern Songye. Various ingredients were introduced into the statue's abdomen, into the horn, ...

Located in the Democratic Congo between the Yaka and the Tchokwé of Angola, the small Holo ethnic group migrated from the Angolan coast to settle near the banks of the Kwango River. Hunting and agriculture provide for their livelihood. Neighbouring ethnic groups, such as the Suku and Yaka, influenced their traditional sculptures. The Holos have produced hexagonal masks and prestige objects for the ruling elite. The Holos used sculptures to guard against the influence of evil spirits, including the moon and the rainbow. These statues were placed near the houses as protection from lightning. Bird figures are also used to protect themselves from ndoki, or sorcerers, who activate evil spirits. In this case it is an intriguing figure, anthropozoomorphic, whose base of the bust, rounded, is ...

Always intriguing by the diversity of their magical paraphernalia, the African fetishes mankishi (plu.) of Songye, specialists in the field. The antelope horn, usually loaded with bishimba in which magical ingredients mingle, emerges from the top, between the janiform faces cut in the image of bifwebe masks. A third masked face takes the place of the abdomen. Among the various magical accessories added by the ritualist named nganga, we see necklaces, inlays of upholstery nails, feathers, hooks and metal bells Each of them played a role in guarding against witchcraft. Around the hips, a little feline fur. Grainy matte patina, polychrome highlights.
The Songye came from the Shaba region of the DRC and settled along the Lualaba River in the middle of the savannah and forests. Their ...

Anthropomorphic boccio statuette, summarily cut, shoulders forward, swinging arms, one of which is missing. A stick is inserted in the bust of the character, also surrounded by cords and a red cotton fabric. The legs joined to the thick feet form the quadrangular base. Matte patina rubbed with ochre.
The botchio (from bo : "evil spell" in Fon, and tchio , "corpse") erected at the top of a pole was erected at the entrance of the village or a house in order to keep away from it any threat, physical or spiritual. Some of them took minimalist forms, barely sketched around a central trunk. The multitude of gods fon (the vodun), similar to those of the Yoruba under different names, are represented by fetishes of all shapes and forms. Their shrines are found in Togo, Dahomey, and ...

Receptacle of a healing force, this bust figure, with a thick circular base, was hollowed out in its center from the head of the character to the base. A magic charge was introduced by the soothsayer.\

This Lobi figure embodies a bateba or lineage ancestor. Its straight body, whose right-angle arms are welded to the bust, has long parallel legs. The hands are gathered under the abdomen. Satin patina, scattered erosions and dorsal crack.
The populations of the same cultural region, grouped under the name lobi, make up one-fifth of the inhabitants of Burkina Faso. Few in Ghana, some of them also live in northern Côte d'Ivoire. It was at the end of the 18th century that the Lobi, coming from northern Ghana, settled among the indigenous Thuna and Puguli, the Dagara, the Dian, the Gan and the Birifor. The Lobi believe in a creator God named Thangba Thu , to whom they address through the worship of many intermediate spirits, the Thil, the latter being supposed to protect them, with the ...

The Vili, The Lri, the Sûndi, the Woyo, the Bembé, the Bwende, the Yombé and the Kongo formed the group Kôngo , led by the Ntotela King. Their kingdom reached its apogee in the 16th century with the ivory, copper and slave trade. Similarbeliefs and traditions, they produce a statuary with a codified gesture in relation to their worldview. In the Kongo, the nganga took care of the rituals by activating a spiritual force with a nkondi (pl. nkissi). The term nkisi was then used to refer to the concepts of "sacred" or "divin".This is a protective object in which one or more magical charges are introduced like the statuette çi-contre.
Camped in a determined attitude, this feminine figure imbued with a certain realism was "charged" by the ritual specialist of magic ingredients. These were ...

Set on two thin legs apart from the width of the pelvis, this feminine figure, reduced, has amazing protruding and asymmetrical pupils giving it the appearance of an insect or even a small animal. Stretched eyebrows largely overlook the eye, while the nose and mouth are carefully sculpted into the extremity of the chin. The tubular neck extends from two tiny breasts supported by the character's hands. It is a fetish for individual use from Akpro-Missérété. Smoothed by a regular grip, the patina has adopted an orange-brown hue. Long desication cracks.
Vingt-five million Yoruba are scattered between Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. Among the broad pantheon Yoruba, the god named Ogun god of iron and war, was also that of blacksmiths and sculptors. The creator Olodumare reigns over four ...

In place of the magic charge or bilongo placed behind the glass of the abdominal cavity, it is a face that appears here on this amazing kongo figure. The arms, raised, are connected to the headdress by textile ties. We do not have information about the context of the use of this piece. The headdress is characteristic of the statuary Beembé and Yombé, other tribes of the Kongo group.
Chez the Kongo, the specialist named nganga , was in charge of the rituals by activating a spiritual force with a nkondi (pl. nkissi). The term nkisi was then used to refer to the terms 'sacred' or 'divine' These protective fetishes for homes are among the most popular in Africa. The Nkisi plays the role of mediator between gods and men, bulwark against diseases and evil spells. Large, nkonde , nkond i, ...

Camped on short legs, the abdomen carried forward, this figure with a realistic face is a protective figure with a magical charge, the bilongo. This fetish was used by nganga to heal, protect, promote luck or inflict revenge. Dark brown patina with kaolin highlights.
The Vili, the Lâri, the Sûndi, the Woyo, the Bembé, the Bwende, the Yombé and the Kôngo formed the group Kôngo, led by King ntotela. Their kingdom reached its peak in the 16th century with the ivory, copper and slave trade. Similarly, they produced a statuary with a codified gesture in relation to their worldview The sorcerers nganga, both healers, were in charge of religious activities and mediation towards the God called Nzambi through these consecrated figures. Aggressive witchcraft kindoki is the absolute evil that ...

African court art Mangbetu and statues of ancestors
Figure to the head port magnified by the long colored curls, she adopts an unusual posture, kneeling, a hand placed on her headdress. The back of the room is fitted with a perforated washer so that it can be carried. Abraded red brown patina. The geometric patterns on this naturalistic male figure evoke the body paintings and tribal scarifications of the Mangbetu, similar to those of the Asua pygmies with whom the tribe had relations. The latter varied depending on the circumstances. The fan hairstyle was sported by the Mangbetu: from an early age, the children were compressed from the cranial box by means of raffia bonds. Later, the Mangbetu \

A fetish statuette of the Songye of harmonious proportions, depicting a figure supported by large feet perched on a circular base. The summit horn usually contained a magical charge introduced by thevine-healer. The action of therapeutic ingredients could be accompanied by different grey-greys in the form of metal quolifichets, textile shreds or shells and pearls, a specific role being attributed to each. Vegetable stems embellished with fur form here only a thin belt highlighting the hips of the fetish. Dark patina, desication cracks, dull areas.
The Songye came from the Shaba region of the DRC and settled between the Lualaba River and the Sankuru River in the middle of the savannah and forests. They are governed by the Yakitengé and local chiefs. The secret society Bwadi however, ...

African statue Nkisi , nkishi (pl. mankishi) of Songye, it has a massive head in the image of the female mask kifwebe named kikashi. The arms are positioned around a bulbous abdomen pointing between a textile-wrapped bulge in which the magic load bishimba has been introduced and a skirt-loin of red fabric belted at the waist. The metallic necklace forms an additional magical accessory.
Patine mate, usual abrasions. Desication cracks. Eroded base.br-These protective fetishes for homes are among the most popular in Africa. Nkisi plays the role of mediator between God and humans, charged with protecting against different evils. Large specimens are the collective property of an entire village, and smaller figures belong to an individual or family. In the 16th century, the Songyes ...

Called boli (pl. boliw ), buffle, in African art, this fetish of varying size plays a central role in the ritual life of the Mandingo region. There are Boliw from handheld, and others belonging to chiefdoms, initiation societies such as the Kono and Komo whose members are progressing through a process spanning several decades, and even at Etats.La main function of a boli is to accumulate and control the natural life force called nyama for the spiritual benefit of the community. Used as altars or performed during dance performances, they are creations conceived from revelations miraculously granted to the geniuses of the bush and transmitted to the soothsayers, using active amalgams from nature and, or organic: daliluw . Animal bones, plant materials, honey and metal are clustered around ...

Used by the Ashanti and Fantis of Ghana, Akuaba (plural Akua'mma) doll statuettes are amulets used by Ashanti women to promote fertility. They are easily identifiable by their stylized appearance. Their flat, circular head has a high front occupying the upper part, the lines usually appear in the lower third of the head. A beauty brand, the ringed neck also symbolizes prosperity. Worn behind the backs of women, these statues are also accompanied by various rituals, such as the ingestion of a potion, or the arrangement of the object on the family altar. After the birth of the child, the sculpture serves as a toy, and sometimes still offered to the healer in order to witness its effectiveness. This ancient doll depicts the mother carrying her child behind her back, firmly held by a draped ...

A power fetish in African art
This naturalistic figure presents an oval face whose style is generally attributed to the Solongo of Angola, the latter supplying the Kongo clans. The glassy gaze of the pupils at the pinhead is wide open this " which constitutes the prerogative of an elder. Indeed, only middle-aged people can stare at us with such insistence in order to alert us to problems or odds. "
The head of an enemy is the seat of the character. Placed on the abdomen, behind a glass, ingredients constitute a magical charge, whose iron nails that lard the piece strengthen the power. Clay libatory residues clumped on the surface, locally draped with textile strips.
Belle oiled dark patina, granular kaolin aggregates.

In the Kongo kingdom, nganga took care of ...